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January 30, 2008

Today, Senator John Edwards ended his Presidential campaign. We here at NJDC hope his decision about this race will not spell the end of his brilliant and important political career.

Senator Edwards - as much as any figure in public life today - has called on America’s conscience to care for those members of society who are struggling. Our Jewish tradition does the same. Senator Edward’s public life has been centered around repairing the world – a principle that is referred to in Jewish tradition as Tikkun Olam. We were reminded of this today, when he ended his campaign in the place where it began: New Orleans. The Senator has eloquently called for the physical repair of this great city, and passionately called for repair of the wounds which divide us – poverty, war, and cynicism.

We were proud to stand with Senator Edwards in 2004 when he represented our party as its nominee for Vice President of the United States. And, we were proud when he stood with our community, holding Senator Cheney accountable for the Bush administration’s coddling of a Saudi government which seeks harm to Israel.

In 2008 the Democratic Party has been blessed with a remarkably talented field of Presidential candidates. It is sad that only one of these wonderful public servants will have the opportunity to represent our party in November. When we celebrate the eventual nominee it is important that we never forget the service provided by the all the candidates who put their lives and careers on hold to fight to make life better for all of us.

The Jewish Telegraphic Agency has a series of opinion pieces from Jewish leaders which articulate why they have chosen to support Senators Clinton, Edwards, and Obama. here are links (alphabetically by candidate):

In early 1995, as the Ampad paper plant in Marion, Ind., neared its shutdown following a bitter strike, Randy Johnson, a worker and union official, scrawled a personal letter to Mitt Romney, pouring out his disappointment that Romney, then chief executive of the investment firm that controlled Ampad, had not done enough to settle the strike and save some 200 jobs.

more stories like this

"We really thought you might help," Johnson said in the handwritten note, "but instead we heard excuses that were unacceptable from a man of your prominent position."

Romney, who had recently lost a Senate race in which the strike became a flashpoint, responded that he had "privately" urged a settlement, but was advised by lawyers not to intervene directly. His political interests, he explained, conflicted with his business responsibilities.

Now, Romney's decision to stay on the sidelines as his firm, Bain Capital, slashed jobs at the office supply manufacturer stands in marked contrast to his recent pledges to beleaguered auto workers in Michigan and textile workers in South Carolina to "fight to save every job."

Throughout his 15-year career at Bain Capital, which bought, sold, and merged dozens of companies, Romney had other chances to fight to save jobs, but didn't. His ultimate responsibility was to make money for Bain's investors, former partners said ...

January 23, 2008

Speaking in an Atlanta church where Dr. Martin Luther King preached, Senator Obama condemned anti-Semitism and other intolerances against minorities.

Here's an excerpt:

"We have scorned our gay brothers and sisters instead of embracing them. The scourge of anti-Semitism has, at times, revealed itself in our community. For too long, some of us have seen immigrants as competitors for jobs instead of companions in the fight for opportunity."

January 22, 2008

Thirty-five years ago today, the Supreme Court proclaimed that women have a fundamental right to control their bodies. Yet the struggle to keep abortion safe, accessible and legal has continued and never has that right been in more jeopardy.

With the confirmation of Justices Roberts and Alito, abortion rights hang by a thread. One more conservative Supreme Court confirmation will tip the scales. It is clear that the 2008 elections will decide whether the reproductive freedom of women in this country will be preserved and protected or denied.

It is notable that every Republican presidential contender would appoint Supreme Court justices opposed to Roe and dedicated to its overthrow. And every Democratic presidential candidate has strongly affirmed the right of women to make this most personal of decisions. All Republican presidential contenders would limit access to abortion services for poor women, and all Democratic contenders have committed to equal access to reproductive health services for all women. And despite the Republican candidates attempting to outdo each other in their proposals to limit the role of government, they all make one exception, and hypocritically demand that the government insert itself into the private medical decisions of American women.

There are stark differences between presidential candidates of the Republican Party and those of the Democratic Party. On this somber anniversary let us remember those tens of thousands of women who have died in illegal abortions, and those tens of thousands of women today who have had access to those services challenged and cut through the actions of this callous Republican administration which has no respect for women's fundamental rights. We must remember what is at stake in November, and vote accordingly.

January 18, 2008

Enclosed is an email we've send to our electronic mailing list subscribers (click here to sign up). We wrote this in response to several smear emails we've either received or have been notified about. If you hear about a smear email being sent to Jewish voters about any Democratic candidates, please inform us at njdc at njdc.org so we can respond ... strongly.

Dear NJDC Activist:

They are at it again. You may have already received a few
bogus emails making false claims about Senators Clinton, Obama
and Edwards. The Right Wing Smear Machine is back, and they are
starting early, hoping to use the Big Lie to undermine the
eventual Democratic nominee.

In 2004, as you will recall, right wingers spread lies about
Democratic nominee John Kerry. They lied about his outstanding
service in Vietnam and started a word-of-mouth campaign in the
Jewish community with a lie about his wife supporting Hamas.
Likewise, the amount of misinformation the Right Wing spread
about President Clinton and Vice President Gore is almost too
numerous to recount.

This year, NJDC is determined to give our activists the tools
to fight back – and to fight back early. In this email, I
have enclosed information that counters some specific charges
that have been levied against Senators Obama, Edwards
and Clinton. Please help us make it "viral" by
forwarding it to friends, family, neighbors and
colleagues.

In the coming days, NJDC will send around a printable
fact-sheet on where the major Democratic candidates stand on
Middle East issues.

Senator Obama

We have received several reports about dishonest emails
circulating about Senator Obama, aimed at Jewish voters. The
fact of the matter is, Senator Obama is a good friend of the
Jewish Community. He is very popular in the Chicago Jewish
Community (one of the most vibrant centers of Jewish life in the
nation) and has made courting Jewish votes a priority in his
presidential campaign. A recent profile about Senator Obama in
the Jewish Telegraphic Agency explained: "What you
might not hear is that the Illinois senator, who made history
Thursday by winning the Democratic caucus in Iowa, has made
Jewish leaders an early stop at every stage in his political
career." (Click here
for the full article.)

Some of the viral emails sent out about Obama claim that the
Senator is anti-Israel. Such charges are off-base. Like the
other Democratic candidates, Barack Obama is a strong supporter
of the U.S.-Israel relationship. He has never cast a vote
against the position of the American Israel Public Affairs
Committee (AIPAC). Shmuel Rosner, the U.S. correspondent for the
Israeli newspaper Haaretz writes that Senator Obama
"is pro-Israel. Period." (Click here
to read his entire blog post about Obama.)

Senator Obama told the audience at NJDC’s 2007
Washington Conference, "When I am President, the United
States will stand shoulder to shoulder with Israel in search of
this peace, and in defense against those who seek its
destruction." (Click here for a
transcript and here for video.)
Likewise, in March 2007, Senator Obama told an AIPAC audience in
Chicago that he believes the U.S. must have "a clear and
strong commitment to the security of Israel: our strongest ally
in the region and its only established democracy. That will
always be my starting point" in approaching Middle East
policy. Continued Obama: "And when we see all of the growing
threats in the region: from Iran to Iraq to the resurgence of
al-Qaeda to the reinvigoration of Hamas and Hezbollah, that
loyalty and that friendship will guide me as we begin to lay the
stones that will build the road that takes us from the current
instability to lasting peace and security."

Senator Obama has been endorsed by several prominent
supporters of Israel, including Jewish Congressman Robert Wexler
of Florida, who wrote: "What has always struck me about
Senator Obama – and this is one of the reasons I have
endorsed his candidacy for the United States Presidency –
is that a love for Israel and a desire to keep the Jewish people
secure is evident not just in his work, but also in his
heart." Another prominent supporter of Israel,
distinguished financier Lester Crown, wrote: "As president,
[Obama] will be the friend to Israel that we all want to see in
the White House - stalwart in his defense of Israel's security,
and committed to helping Israel achieve peace with its
neighbors." (More coverage of Crown’s endorsement and
support for Obama in the Jewish community is available on the
Haaretz blog, here.)

The New York Sun – hardly a bastion of support
for Democrats – editorialized: "We're no shills for
Mr. Obama, but these Republicans [who questioned the
Senator’s support for Israel] haven't checked their facts.
At least by our lights, Mr. Obama's commitment to Israel, as he
has articulated it so far in his campaign, is quite moving and a
tribute to the broad, bipartisan support that the Jewish state
has in America."

It is also worth noting that Senator Obama is an outspoken
critic of Iran, who wrote legislation to make it easier for
states to divest from Iranian holdings. (The legislation is
being blocked by a Republican Senator.)

Another Republican smear campaign falsely claims Senator
Obama was educated in a radical Muslim madrassa – a
blatant lie. While Senator Obama’s religion – he is
Christian – should not matter in the Presidential
election, setting the facts straight is important.
We’ve seen terrible fear mongering by the right wing in
the form of baseless attacks against Muslim Congressman Keith
Ellison – a good public servant and a friend of Israel and
the Jewish Community. Similar attacks seem to be sprouting up
against Senator Obama although he is Christian.

If a friend or neighbor asks you about an email or internet
rumor regarding Senator Obama’s religious upbringing, here
are some important things to tell him/her:

(1) CNN reports "Allegations that Sen. Barack
Obama was educated in a radical Muslim school known as a
‘madrassa’ are not accurate, according to CNN
reporting." The complete report is available online here in
a report entitled "CNN debunks false report about
Obama."

(2) The false "madrassa" rumors were published in a
right wing smear magazine owned by the same company that owns
the ultra-conservative Washington Times. These are the
same people who have printed numerous falsehoods about the
Clintons through the years.

(3) The Obama campaign has a fact sheet on its
website which serves as an excellent resource about his
background and sets the record straight about his
religion. While Obama’s religion should not be
a political issue, lying about a candidate’s religion is
noteworthy. The fact sheet explains that, despite lies saying
otherwise, Obama "is not and has never been a
Muslim." The fact sheet is available here.

Scurrilous emails have also been circulating which attempt to
smear Senator Obama because a magazine associated with his
church gave an award to Louis Farrakhan. In the response to
inquiries about Farrakhan, Obama repudiated and decried
Farrakhan and his anti-Semitism. He was praised by the
Anti-Defamation League (ADL) for so-doing.

ADL National Director Abraham Foxman released a statement
saying: "We welcome Barack Obama's condemnation of the
anti-Semitic rhetoric of Minister Louis Farrakhan, and his
making clear that he did not agree with his church's decision to
honor Farrakhan. Issues of racism and anti-Semitism must be
beyond the bounds of politics. When someone close to a political
figure shows sympathy and support for an individual who makes
his name espousing bigotry, that political figure needs to
distance himself from that decision. Senator Obama has done just
that."

The rhetoric in some of these viral emails about Obama is so
over the top, that yesterday several leaders of national Jewish
organizations signed on to a letter condemning the smear
campaign being run against him. The signatories represent
non-partisan organizations which do not endorse political
candidates. In the letter, they wrote: "Of particular
concern, over the past several weeks, many in our community have
received hateful emails that use falsehood and innuendo to
mischaracterize Senator Barack Obama’s religious beliefs
and who he is as a person" and "These tactics attempt
to drive a wedge between our community and a presidential
candidate based on despicable and false attacks and innuendo
based on religion. We reject these efforts to manipulate members
of our community into supporting or opposing
candidates."

The signatories include William Daroff of United Jewish
Communities, Nathan J. Diament of the Union of Orthodox Jewish
Congregations of America, Abraham Foxman of Anti-Defamation
League, Richard S. Gordon of the American Jewish Congress, David
Harris of the American Jewish Committee, Rabbi Marvin Hier of
the Simon Wiesenthal Center, Rabbi David Saperstein of the
Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, Phyllis Snyder of the
National Council of Jewish Women and Hadar Susskind of the
Jewish Council for Public Affairs.

Senator Clinton

Senator Hillary Clinton has long been a target for
distortion, despite her outstanding record on issues ranging
from education, to health care, to support for Israel. Despite
her strong commitment to Israel and close kinship with the
Jewish Community (a key reason she is tremendously popular with
her New York constituents), right wing smears against her
leadership continue.

Giuliani advisor Martin Kramer, for instance, wrote a
disingenuous piece in the Jerusalem Post claiming that
Senator Clinton’s rhetoric on Israel contains code words
hinting that she is not really a true friend of Israel. Of
course there was no logic to anything he wrote, not a surprise
given that Senator Clinton has worked overtime in support of
Israel in the Senate.

I wrote an op-ed responding to Mr. Kramer, which is available
on our blog, here.
I would recommend sending these paragraphs to anyone who is
tempted to believe a right wing smear of the Senator and her
support for the Jewish state:

Before delving into the specific charges offered by
Kramer, it is important to note that Senator Clinton has been a
great supporter of Israel throughout her career, and is one of
Israel's strongest friends in the US Senate. She led the charge
for Red Cross recognition of Magen David Adom and has an
impeccable voting record.

If Hillary were but a fair weather friend of Israel, as
Kramer suggests, she surely would not enjoy the immense
popularity she has seen in New York. One simply does not get
re-elected in the Empire State with 67% of the vote if there is
even a smidgeon of legitimate doubt about one's support for
Israel.

Here is what the Orthodox newspaper, The Jewish
Press, which opposed Clinton in 2000, wrote in support of
her candidacy for re-election to the Senate in 2006: "As regards
Israel, she has become an important supporter of the Jewish
state both in public and, perhaps more importantly, behind the
scenes. She is held in the highest regard by those who regularly
plead Israel's cause in the halls of government. For those who
initially were wary of her positions on Middle East issues - and
we include ourselves in that category - Ms. Clinton has proved
to be a pleasant and welcome surprise."

At NJDC’s Washington Conference, Senator Clinton
strongly affirmed that that the U.S. stands "with Israel
because it is a beacon of democracy in a neighborhood that is
shadowed by radicalism, extremism, despotism and
terrorism," and that Israel’s very existence is
"a defiant rebuke to anti-Semitism." Her remarks were
particularly well received by our members. (Click here for
a transcript and here for video.)

The Senator’s Israel position paper states, "from
her first trip to Israel on New Year’s Day in 1982 through
her years as a U.S. Senator, Hillary Clinton has a long history
of strong and steadfast leadership for the US-Israel
relationship. Her connection to the State of Israel, which began
when as the First Lady of Arkansas, she brought an innovative
Israeli preschool education program to her state, has
grown." It goes on to say that "Hillary recognizes that
Israel is a most important strategic ally against the scourge of
terrorism and radicalism. ‘Israel,’ she said,
‘is not only a friend and ally for us; it is a beacon of
what democracy can and should be.’"

Time and again, Senator Clinton comes forward to stand with
Israel. In September, for instance, Senator Clinton voiced
strong and eloquent support of Israel’s decision to take
out a Syrian weapons facility in September, asserting that
"the Syrians apparently were putting together, and perhaps
over some period of years, a nuclear facility, and the Israelis
took it out," adding, "I strongly support that."

In a further example, Senator Clinton’s office teamed
with Palestinian Media Watch in February 2007 to release a study
of anti-Israel language in Palestinian textbooks. Bold actions
in support of Israel are the rule from Senator Clinton’s
office, not the exception.

And, as was previously alluded to, Senator Clinton was a
leader in the successful efforts to push for recognition of
Magen David Adom (Israel’s Red Cross) into the
International Red Cross movement, leading American Red Cross
Chairwoman Bonnie McElveen-Hunter to comment: "In
partnership with the American Red Cross, Senator Clinton has
been a strong and engaged leader in support of Magen David
Adom’s acceptance into the International Red Cross and Red
Crescent Movement."

Of course, it is important to remind anyone tempted to
believe the right wing’s rhetoric about Senator Clinton
that her husband’s administration was strongly supportive
of Israel. To this day, former President Clinton continues to
speak out on behalf of the U.S.-Israel relationship, notably
taking former President Jimmy Carter to task for falsehoods in
his book about the Middle East.

Senator Edwards

Right wingers have long sought to distort Senator Edwards'
record. Last year, the right wing smear machine tried to spread
a myth– strongly denied by the Edwards campaign –
that claimed the Senator considered Israel the greatest threat
to world peace. The Edwards campaign struck back hard, issuing a
statement which NJDC blogged about in February. (Click here
to view.) The statement said:

"Senator Edwards did not say nor does he believe that the
greatest short-term threat to world peace is the possibility
that Israel would bomb Iran's nuclear facilities. Senator
Edwards said, as he has in the past, that Iran acquiring a
nuclear weapon is one of the greatest short-term threats to
world peace."

Edwards spoke eloquently about the Iranian threat to the
Herzliya conference in Israel. During the conference he
remarked that "for years, the U.S. hasn’t done enough
to deal with what I have seen as a threat from Iran" and
that "to ensure that Iran never gets nuclear weapons, we
need to keep ALL options on the table. Let me reiterate –
ALL options must remain on the table."

Addressing Herzliya, Edwards said that the U.S.-Israel
relationship is a "bond that can never be broken." He
also spoke about his dedication to Israel at NJDC’s
Washington Conference. (Click here for video
and here for
a transcript.) One need just read this portion of his remarks to
understand that this man loves Israel, understands her
challenges and stands firmly with her people:

I know how important our relationship with Israel is.

I have been on extraordinarily emotional trips to Israel
myself which have been very important to me. Tonight as many of
you know in Israel a flag will be raised on Mt. Herzl to
commemorate what happened in 1948 when members of Israel's
provisional government signed a declaration of independence in
Tel Aviv and celebrating Israel's independence is a wonderful
historic moment for Israel. The nation is flourishing, the
economy is doing very well. Israel continues to face, as many of
you know very well, extraordinary threats to her people and
security every single day.

I think there is a renewed need for vigilance. I was in
Israel last summer --- in fact a few of the people who I was in
Israel with are here tonight. We met with the Prime Minister,
other Israeli leaders, and the Cabinet. We travelled to the
northern border with Lebanon. This was about a month before the
fighting broke out. This was one of my visits to Israel, all of
which have had independent meaning for me.

On my first trip, we left the King David Hotel and left
for Tel Aviv, and a few hours later the Sbarro Pizza bombing
took place, which many of you will remember. Many died,
including children.

On the campaign trail, Senator Edwards has sharply criticized
the Bush Administration for proposing a $20 billion weapons sale
to Saudi Arabia and other Arab states and has pledged to take a
tougher stance toward the Saudis than President Bush in the
White House. He was a sharp critic of the Saudi government on
the 2004 campaign trail as well, remarking, "Whether
it’s Iraq or terrorism, the Saudis have fallen way short
of what they need to be doing." (More info is available in
a USA Today article, which is available here.)

Senator Edwards was very clear about his commitment to Israel
during his 2004 debate with Vice President Cheney, declaring,
"the Israeli people not only have the right to defend
themselves, they should defend themselves. They have an
obligation to defend themselves." He also reiterated his
support for a tougher policy on Saudi Arabia and tough efforts
to hold Iran accountable: "And I might add, it is very
important for America to crack down on the Saudis who have not
had a public prosecution for financing terrorism since 9/11. And
it's important for America to confront the situation in Iran,
because Iran is an enormous threat to Israel and to the Israeli
people."

Attacks against our Democratic candidates must be countered
with the facts. The earlier we start, the more powerful our
pushback. I urge you to forward this message along to voters of
all parties and political persuasions so we can stop the
saliency of right wing attacks before it is too late. And,
please send us any smear emails aimed at Jewish voters you
receive so we can help debunk
them.

January 17, 2008

At some point you'd think Mike Huckabee's views would be seen as so controversial that there's no way he could possibly be a contender for the nomination of one of America's two main political parties.

Especially now. In an interview with Beliefnet.com, a religion Web site, Huck has just clarified his view that the Constitution should be amended to be brought in line with God's will -- and he directly equated homosexuality with bestiality. (emphasis added)

January 16, 2008

In April 2007, when every major Democratic candidate for president attended NJDC's Washington Conference, it sent a strong message about the importance of our constituency within the Democratic Party. (Shameless plug! We have streaming video available here)

Jewish Democrats should feel empowered that the candidates continue to send a strong message that we matter. The Jewish Telegraphic Agency has a story out today which illustrates this American political truism. From JTA:

NEW YORK (JTA) -- After splitting victories in the opening rounds of the presidential race in Iowa and New Hampshire, Democratic front-runners Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have intensified outreach efforts to Jewish voters in advance of primaries in key Jewish states on Jan. 29 and Feb. 5.

Ann Lewis, a senior adviser to Clinton heavily involved in Jewish outreach, held a conference call last week with Jewish leaders in which she touted her candidate's record of support for Israel. A similar call with Jewish members of Congress supporting Obama took place on Tuesday.

The Obama campaign has also been forwarding an e-mail from Lester Crown, a prominent Jewish supporter in Chicago, touting the candidate's commitment to Israel.

In Nevada, which is holding its caucuses on Saturday, Lewis was boasting the recent endorsement of Clintonby the state's only Jewish member of Congress and one of the most hawkish Democratic voices on Israel, U.S. Rep. Shelley Berkley. Also in Nevada, an Obama campaign official visited Jewish leaders to lay out the candidate's record on Israel.

"I really liked it," said Rabbi Felipe Goodman of the Conservative Temple Beth Sholom in Las Vegas. "We don't know anything about Obama's positions, and it was very refreshing to me."

With voters in Iowa and New Hampshire having failed to anoint a Democratic front-runner, the contest is moving to states where significant Jewish populations could be crucial in determining the party's nominee ....

Washington, D.C – Today, following Mitt Romney’s victory in the Michigan Republican primary, NJDC released a fact sheet on Mitt Romney. In addition, NJDC released the following statement from Executive Director Ira N. Forman:

“If Republican voters in the rest of the country go the way of Michigan, they will vote away their chance at making any serious inroads among Jewish voters in November. Indeed, Jewish voters will surely not look kindly on Mitt Romney’s efforts to ban stem cell research in Massachusetts, his opposition to Roe versus Wade, or his decision to use a line-item veto to prevent Jewish nursing home residents from receiving Kosher meals.

“Romney has made several questionable decisions on the campaign trail, which call into question his understanding of the concerns of Jewish voters. For example, Romney declared for the Presidency at the Henry Ford Museum and refused to acknowledge his mistake after Mr. Ford’s history with anti-Semitism was called to the public’s attention. He also made the preposterous statement that America should look toward Hezbollah’s social programs as a model.”

Mitt Romney is currently an anti-choice candidate who has sought support from the religious right in order to gain a competitive edge in the GOP presidential primary.

Romney opposes stem cell research and tried to ban it in Massachusetts.[New York Times, 2/10/05]

The Anti-Defamation League and American Jewish Committee have criticized Romney for campaign rhetoric that undercuts the separation between church and state. Reports The Forward: “Both the Anti-Defamation League and the American Jewish Committee raised concerns about parts of [Romeny’s] speech seemingly designed to help sell the former Massachusetts governor to conservative Christian voters … the speech ‘reflected an effort we have seen in the current campaign — indeed on the part of many of the candidates — to appeal to religious voters on the basis of shared religiosity,’ wrote Abraham Foxman, national director of the ADL …” [The Forward, 12/12/07]

Romney tapped Rev. Louis P. Sheldon of the Traditional Values Coalition to co-chair his campaign’s committee on faith and values. Sheldon is one of the most extreme, rabid anti-gay activists in the country. He is a leading opponent of hate crimes legislation, which he said “slapped Christians in the face” because it included protection for gays and lesbians.[Onenewsnow.com, 6/18/07; People for the American Way Right Wing Watch, 12/06]

Romney’s faith and values co-chairs also include Jay Sekulow the head of Pat Robertson’s American Center for Law and Justice, well-known anti-abortion extremist James Bopp, and Gary Marx of the ultra-right wing Judicial Confirmation Network. [Hotline Blog, 12/12/06; Romney Blog, 1/30/07].

Romney said that Pat Robertson “has a dedication to strengthening and then nurturing the pillars of this community and our country: education, fellowship, and advancement.” Romney’s comments came during an address at Regent University, to which he went to court support from the religious right. [ThinkProgress, 5/4/07]

MITT ROMNEY DOESN’T UNDERSTAND THE CONCERNS OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY

Mitt Romney announced his candidacy for President at the Henry Ford Museum and refused to apologize or change venues after Ford’s anti-Semitism was brought to his campaign’s attention. [NJDC Press Release 2/12/07]

Romney said that Hezbollah’s “kind of diplomacy is something that would help America become stronger around the world …” Romney was seemingly unaware that Hezbollah’s social programs are inseparably tied to terrorism, that the health clinics and schools praised by Romney have also been used as a cover for rockets launched at Israeli cities, and that Hezbollah social activism has included paying “bonuses” for the murder of Israelis. [Jewish Telegraphic Agency, 8/1/07; NJDC Press Release, 8/2/07]

In Massachusetts, Romney used his line item veto to oppose $600,000 in funding for kosher meals to Jewish seniors. Romney’s veto was overridden by the Massachusetts General Court (state legislature). [The Jewish Advocate, 12/5/03]

Romney made a questionable reference to “Hitler’s Holocaust Ovens” on the campaign trail. In discussing the War on Terror, Romney “called the Democrats "uncomfortable in recognizing the evil in the world,’ and said, ‘I don't think the world has seen the face of evil like this since the days of Hitler's Holocaust ovens.’” [Denver Post, 7/18/07]